One of Leon's kicks in the latest Resident Evil 4 remake footage seems to take inspiration from the "basic kick" that was included in the 2004 preview build of the game.After a few months of silence, Capcom has finally started sharing more on the Resident Evil 4 remake over at Game Informer, including new gameplay clips and deep dives into some of the features that the rebuilt version is adding. Although Capcom and Game Informer have pointed out some of the biggest changes, fans have dived deep into the footage to pull out some more obscure additions, like the addition of a kick that previously featured in a 2004 demo build of the original Resident Evil 4.As pointed out by Twitter user Sisslethecat, the most recent Game Informer video on the Resident Evil 4 remake features Ashley and Leon making their way from a church and through a village. At one point in the footage, Leon shoots a villager and goes to melee attack them while they're stunned. Although this usually results in the roundhouse kick we all know and love, Leon instead does a much more simple front-facing kick.
Sisslethecat points out that this seems to be the return of the "basic kick" from the 2004 preview disc version of the original Resident Evil 4, which is backed up by gameplay footage of the kick looking very similar to what's shown in the latest gameplay footage. According to Sisslethecat, the mid-level kick was meant for enemies on their nears, while the roundhouse was intended for blinded enemies. In the final game, Leon only uses the roundhouse kick and the mid-level version is used when he kicks down doors instead.
For those like me that saw this kick and got a little worried that it had somehow replaced the iconic roundhouse, the same gameplay footage thankfully shows that Leon will still be using his iconic high kick. He's just got a few more options this time around.